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Secure Training Centres (STCs) are purpose-built centres
for young offenders up to the age of 17. They are run by private
operators according to Home Office contracts, which set out
detailed operational requirements. There are now four STCs in
England, with the opening of Oakhill in August 2004.
- Oakhill in Milton Keynes
- Hassockfield in County Durham
- Rainsbrook in Rugby
- Medway in Kent
They house vulnerable young people who are sentenced to custody
in a secure environment where they can be educated and
rehabilitated. They differ from Young Offender Institutions (YOIs)
in that they have a higher staff to young offender ratio (a minimum
of three staff members to eight trainees) and are smaller in size,
which means that an individual's needs can be met more easily.
The regimes in STCs are constructive and education-focused. They
provide tailored programmes for young offenders that give them the
opportunity to develop as individuals which, in turn, will help
stop them reoffending. Trainees are provided with formal education
25 hours a week, 50 weeks of the year.
All services related to the operation of an STC are provided
on-site, including all education and training, primary healthcare,
dentistry, and services to address the young person's offending
behaviour (including input from mental health and social care
professionals).
To facilitate the young person's rehabilitation into the
community, STCs have a dedicated team of people working on
fostering links with the young person's home community. This is
particularly useful in creating educational and employment
opportunities on release.
STC inspections
You can view the annual STC inspections, post-October 2003, on
the CSCI
website. Inspections carried out prior to October 2003 can be
accessed using the search facility on the
Department of Health
website. |